- Date
- June 26, 1986, 16:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Little River, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N302BGBurkhart Grob G-103A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860626028259A
- Case key
- 7139
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt reported that the glider was violently rolled into a 90 left bank by strong crosswinds at about 250 ft AGL, while it was being towed aloft. The plt's cockpit canopy came open, and the plt attempted to close and secure it. The canopy came open again before the plt was able to secure it closed. The plt stated that he lost sight of the tow plane while securing the canopy and that he subsequently released the tow line. He reported that after release the glider was at about 80 ft AGL in a stalled condition from which he could not recover. The glider then impacted trees, turned 180 degrees and fell to the ground upright.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N302BG
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob G-103A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 34019-K-251
- Airframe hours
- 87
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Carolina Sailplanes,Inc.
- Registered owner
- E. M. Wheeler & T. E. Kelly
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Aerobatic
- Airport
- 5J8 · Cypress Bay, runway 33, 2,900 × 40 ft
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRE, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.